Yamuna Bindu, Author at Get My Parking

Undoubtedly, we are living in an unprecedented time in history. With Covid-19 disrupting our lives, especially travel and mobility, the way we go about our day-to-day routine has turned topsy-turvy. While staying indoors and limiting your ventures outside is an excellent way of safeguarding yourself from the traps of Coronavirus, you can only stay indoors for so long. At some point, whether it's for work or for buying groceries or due to some unforsaken emergency, we must venture out eventually. When such a situation arises, practicing social distancing becomes crucial. Let us find out how you can abide by the rules of social distancing at parking lots. What is Social Distancing? Simply put, social distancing means keeping physical space between yourself and other people outside your household. This means no mass gatherings in public. If you have to go out, maintain a 6-feet distance from others. Social distancing is the primary solution to slow down the spread of Coronavirus. With the virus still spreading and no vaccine having been developed yet, one can anticipate that social-distancing will be the norm and our way of life for some time to come. One of the places where practicing social distancing becomes an absolute necessity to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus is car parking lots. Read Also: How to Use Smart City Technology to Measure Social Distancing? Tips for practicing social distancing at parking lots Tip 1. Avoid crowds Covid-19 spreads easily through physical contact from person to person or from the droplets spread through the air by coughing or sneezing. That is why it is vital to reduce any possibility of coming in close contact with people. This is why it becomes imperative for your well-being to avoid crowded parking lots. When you are choosing a parking lot to keep your vehicle, ensure that the parking lot has proper crowd management inside the parking lot and outside the premises, as this will mean that the parking lot is duly following the social distancing norms. Tip 2. Maintain distance To practice social distancing, you should be maintaining at least 6-feet distance from others, along with wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose. You should be adhering to these rules in the parking lot as well. When you are in a parking lot, make it a point to leave every other space open while parking your vehicle. This will help in maintaining a distance between other vehicle owners as they arrive and leave. Tip 3. Proper precautionary gear If you are visiting an establishment that has valet parking, then always make sure that the operating staff members at that parking lot are wearing face shields, masks, and gloves appropriately. Moreover, you should also ensure proper disinfection of the steering wheel, door handles, keys, etc. of the vehicles are being followed. When going to regular parking lots, try parking your car in a lot where the attendants or the staff members are wearing appropriate masks and gloves. Tip 4. Look for contactless parking lots If you are going outside to run an errand, then choosing to park your car at a 'contactless' parking lot is a smart move. A 'contactless' parking lot means that you can enter the facility without exchanging tickets or money with a parking lot staff member. This type of parking minimizes the contact between you and other people at different touch-points, such as- entry, exit, payments, etc. 'Contactless' parking lots allow you to use mobile payment technology to make your payments. As there will be no handling of parking receipts or exchange of money, you won't have to leave the safety of your car or have the need to interact with the parking staff member. This type of parking lots can also benefit the parking operators as they will be able to monitor and analyze the parking and payment without having to step into the facility or interact with other people physically. Tip 5. Sanitization In such a tumultuous time, your health and well-being are paramount. Even though staying indoors is the ideal way to ensure that you don't come in contact with other people, but if you are going out, then make sure to follow proper sanitization protocols. If you have parked your car in the parking lot, remember to sanitize your hands as well as the door handles, steering wheel, and keys. If the parking lot doesn't have any digital system in place and still uses receipts and cash for payments, then make sure to use gloves or sanitize your hands after exchanging money or receipts with the parking lot staff member. While interacting with the parking lot staff members, make it a point to wear a mask. The more promptly you follow all these sanitization protocols, the more you lower the chances of contracting the infection. As COVID-19 continues to spread every day, we are responsible for protecting ourselves, especially when we go out. Steps like social distancing or wearing masks may seem like an inconvenience, but it's the best way to keep yourself as well as your family, friends, and neighbors safe!

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Yamuna Bindu

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